Cloud Nine
by Kime Tara
Summary: Post-Meteor; focuses on Reno and Tifa. Rated for slight use of language.


**Cloud Nine**

By kimetara

One-shot

Disclaimer: Ain't mine, never was, never will be.

AN: Written while listening to "Perfect" by Simple Plan.  Reviews are welcome.

          He remembered the good old days.  Yeah.  Days when none of them thought about their next paycheck, when they had coasted down Easy Street.  Days when they had power, had respect, had the world bowing and kissing their mud-covered shoes.  When he and Rude used to cruise around, picking up all the hot girls and hitting all the good bars.

          Well, at least he had picked up all the hot girls.  Rude had always been too much of a stiff.  But they'd definitely known all the first-rate bars.  And Seventh Heaven was right up there.

          Sure, they all scoffed in the Shinra building.  A bar in the slums being any good?  Showed what they knew.  Seventh Heaven was one of the best deals you could get – good drinks, low prices, tons of cute babes just waiting to be grabbed.  Literally.

          "Seventh Heaven?  What the hell kind of a name for a bar is that?" they said.  "The bartender must be a real screw.  Probably another leftover _dreamer_."  Scarlet especially – he never told anyone, but this redhead had a hunch the priss had a crush on Rude.  `Course, Rude avoided her at all costs.

          Hah.  They were all just too idiotic to think about it.  Seventh heaven.  Ecstasy.  Intoxication.

          Yeah, it was a fine name for a bar.

          Well, those were the ol' days.  Now they were somewhere between shunned and feared.  Lucky for them Reeve had managed to get them a break – although Reno had a hunch the thing with the Don and letting them go in the Midgar sewers played a part in it.  Just like he'd planned.

          Oh sure, Reno knew ahead of time that Shinra was failing.  Everyone who was "in" knew – you couldn't miss it if you tried.  Most of `em did try though, and look where it got them?  Buried in rubble or stranded in prison.  He hadn't been so stupid; he'd been smart and made a few adjustments – just in case.

          Reno knew how to play his cards.  Cloud and his crew were the righteous, justice-for-all types.  You cut them a little slack, let them do you a favor or two, and they thought twice about punishment.  After all, he had a lot of underhanded titles.  Politician was one of them.  He knew how to climb to the top.

          Speaking of which, he'd better keep those connections going...or at least, nab a good drink.

          She had named her new bar Cloud Nine.  Everybody said she had a thing for clouds, then smirked or shook their heads.

          It still worked.

          Reno pushed open the door to the little place and took a seat right at the bar.  Plain view, not to mention the little 'ding' when he came in should have attracted attention.  Nevertheless, the bartender was busy serving in another corner, so he took the time to look around.

          The old pinball machine was gone.  To this day, he wondered whether there had been something to it – those cracks in the floor were just a little _too_ perfect.  Rude had always convinced him to leave it be though, and Reno had to admit, he never thought the quiet owner could possibly be a part of AVALANCHE.  Not that she wasn't strong, anybody could tell that.  But a terrorist?  Hell no.

          Besides that, it seemed to be of the same type.  Yeah, it was spruced up a bit – clean, quality furniture, bunches of pretty dried flowers hanging on the walls – but same polished, wooden walls, same arrangement of tables, same bar.  Same her.  Speaking of which, she'd finally seen him and was on her way over.

          "Reno."

          "Hey Tifa.  Been a while, huh?"  He smiled lopsidedly, his elbows on the counter.  Maybe not quite the same her.  After all, people change.

          Tifa entered the bar and closed the door smoothly behind her.  "What do you want?" she asked, her tone clipped and professional.

          "Something hard."  She nodded and turned around to make the drink.  A little girl peeked over the counter at him, and he grinned at her.  She was a cute looking thing, eight or nine, maybe.  She smiled tentatively back.

          "Hello mister.  You haven't been around here lately," she told him accusingly.

          "Nope, sorry.  I had a little work I needed to finish up," Reno explained.  She nodded, satisfied.

          "Leave him be, Marlene," Tifa commanded, still fixing the drink, her back to the pair.

          "Is he a bad man?" she asked, tilting her head and watching Reno.

          "...yes."  Tifa finally turned around and handed Reno his drink across the counter.  Her eyes were calm and unflinching as she looked at him.  She didn't feel guilty for her proclamation.

          "But he used to buy a lot of drinks from us!" Marlene protested.  Tifa smiled fondly at the little girl.

          "I know.  But he's done a lot of mean things."

          Marlene frowned at him now.  "Really?"

          Reno took a long drink.  "...you could say that."

          "Why aren't you in jail then?  Bad people should be in jail," Marlene asked doubtfully.

          Reno didn't answer, his gaze steady on Tifa.  She frowned, then sighed and shook her head.  "Because he's helped us a few times before."

          "So he's not all bad!" Marlene declared.  Reno winked.

          "Nah, I'm not all bad," he reassured her.  Tifa's lips thinned.

          "Marlene, it's time for bed," she said abruptly, placing her hand gently on the little girl's shoulder.  "Let's take you home."

          "Okay."  She obediently trotted outside, Tifa following behind her.

          When Tifa came back in, she was half-hoping Reno would be gone.  But no, he was still sitting there on the bar stool, looking at nothing.  His drink hadn't been touched since she left.  She inwardly sighed and returned to running her bar.

          There was only twenty minutes until 10 – closing time.  At 9:55, Tifa finally spoke to Reno.

          "There's only five minutes until we close up."

          "I'll keep that in mind."  She shrugged and continued her work, motioning for her assistants to leave.  By ten, the bar was empty.

          Well, almost empty.  "We're closed now.  Please leave."

          Reno shrugged and stood up, hands in his pockets.  "So, how's life been treating you?"

          Tifa ignored him and started putting the chairs up.  She reached for one in the nearby table, but he beat her to it.  She watched silently as he carefully placed the chair on the tabletop.

          "...it's been alright," she answered reluctantly, moving on to another table.  Reno put another one up as well.

          "Hooked up with Cloud yet?"

          "...no."

          "Planning to anytime soon?"

          "How have you been?" Tifa asked abruptly.  Reno smirked half-heartedly.

          "We~ell," he drawled, "I'm not dead and I'm not in prison, so I guess I've been getting by."

          "I see."  Another chair went up.

          "Don't you sound thrilled."  Reno paused to glance over at her.  During the course of the conversation she had somehow managed to move halfway across the room.

          "Did you really expect me to be?"

          "That's not very nice," he chided.  Tifa smiled, sadly and jaded.

          "Maybe I'm not very nice."

          "I could protest dramatically and proclaim you a saint, but," he paused, "I won't.  What makes you say that?  After all, you're a heroine now."

          "Don't call me that.  I still think of the drug whenever I hear that word," she frowned.

          "Living in the Midgar slums does that to you.  Why aren't you a sweetheart?" Reno pressed.

          Tifa paused, then resumed putting the chair up.  There were only three more to go.  "I'm not as nice as everybody thinks I am."

          "Really."  His tone radiated skepticism.

          "Yes.  I'm over-sensitive, I'm weak, I'm jealous-"

          "Were you happy when the Ancient died?" Reno interrupted.

          "Of course not!" Tifa nearly yelped.  "I said I was jealous, not demonic!  And her name is Aeris, not 'the Ancient'."

          "Was, you mean," he corrected.  Tifa gritted her teeth.

          "Her name's still her name," she snapped, stalking behind the counter and pulling out a dishtowel.  Reno strolled over to the bar and leaned a shoulder against the wall, watching her.

          "Fair enough.  I wouldn't say you're the jealous type though; she did a lot of shit in front of you and you never called her out.  Scarlet, now she's a damn harpy.  Catfights every day."  Reno smirked.  Tifa didn't reply, silently spraying and cleaning the bar.  "No laugh?  Funny, you used to laugh all the time.  Maybe I've lost my touch-"

          "Is there a reason you're here, Reno?" Tifa asked suddenly, wiping down the countertop.  "I know it wasn't for the drink.  You hardly touched it."  She motioned to the glass still sitting on the polished wooden surface.

          "...just wanted some company, I guess," he admitted, slouching with his back against the wall.  Tifa 'hmphed' lightly.

          "I'm not the one you should go to for small talk."

          "No, but you're a hell of a lot better than anybody else."

          "What happened to Rude and Elena?"  Tifa moved from the counter to a table, dishcloth and spray bottle in hand.

          "They're working for Reeve now."

          "Why aren't you?"

          He placed his hands behind his head, eyes on the ceiling.  "Don't know."

          "You can't get a better deal than Reeve's," she continued as if she hadn't heard him.  "I'm sure you'll be paid well enough, and besides...with your history, not many jobs are open to you."

          "Yeah."  Reno didn't take his gaze from the ceiling.

          Tifa stopped, lifting her eyes to his still frame.  "What are you planning?"

          "What makes you think I'm planning anything?"  He put his arms back down to his sides and cocked an eyebrow at her.

          "I know you.  Always go for the best deal.  Opportunist, remember?"  She busied herself again with her cleaning.

          He chuckled lowly.  "Since when was I an open book?"

          "...you're not."  She sprayed the counter and rubbed hard, trying to get rid of a particularly stubborn spot.  "You don't have to stay on my good side, Reno.  I'm not going to turn on you."

          So, she found him out.  Almost.  "Yeah.  I know.  Loyal to the end, huh?" he grinned, almost teasingly.

          "That's right," Tifa sighed, bracing herself against the table, her palms flat on the surface.  As she looked down into the glossy wood, she had to wonder when she started becoming so tired.

          "Why're you still here being his puppy dog?" Reno asked abruptly, shoving his hands back into his pockets.  "If he hasn't by now, he's never going to notice you.  You know that."

          She bit her lip.  "I'm not giving up," she announced firmly, once again resuming her cleaning.

          She stopped when Reno walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.  He pulled her gently towards him, and she relaxed against his warm frame.

          "Sometimes, you gotta know when to quit."  He murmured the words softly into her ear, and Tifa's head dropped.  She fiddled with the corner of the cloth in her hand.

          "I know you've put a lot into him.  Trust me, I hate to see it all go to waste too," he nuzzled the inside of her neck, "but it's been four years.  He's never going to fall for you."

          "It's not as if you have."  Tifa wriggled herself away and turned to face him.  "What do you want me to do?  I've tied myself to him Reno, with the years, with this bar, with all my plans for the future..."

          "That's the great thing about life – you can just pack up and move out whenever you want."  He motioned to the bar.  "You might think you're tied here, but you're not.  Nothing's stopping you from leaving but you."

          She shook her head.  "I have obligations-"

          "To what?  To slave away waiting for something that's never going to happen?"  Reno stepped forward and gripped her shoulders tightly.  "You're not the type that can just keep going like this.  You _need_ somebody to care about you, and trust me, there are plenty of guys out there that'll love you.  Cloud's just not one of them."

          "Don't be a fool now, Tifa.  You're not that strong, and you're not that cold."

          She closed her eyes, and something in her just broke.  Reno neatly supported her sagging frame against his, one arm around her waist, the other gently stroking her hair as her head rested on his chest.  Slowly, her limp arms rose and twined themselves loosely around his slender torso as the minutes ticked by.

          Silence.  Comfort.  Pain, hurt, throbbing and broken.  Shimmers of what could have been were all that filled the empty space.

          "...alright."  Her voice was soft, tired.  "Let me just pack my things."

          Reno nodded, loosening his hold on her.  It took a few moments, but Tifa straightened, although she swayed slightly.  She shook her head and walked resolutely up the small stairway.

          She came back down less than ten minutes later, carrying a bag.  Reno rose from the barstool he'd been sitting on.

          "What's in there?"

          "Clothes and some gil."

          He took the bag from her and opened it.  Tifa watched wordlessly as he pulled out a certain dress, a certain picture, a piece of jewelry...

          "Good to go."  He snapped the bag closed and handed it to her.  She placed it on the floor and tidied up the things he had taken out, placing them neatly on a nearby table.

          "You let me keep the group picture.  And the one of Marlene."

          "Nothing wrong with remembering a cute little girl."  Reno shrugged.  "And you're not trying to leave them all, just make a new life."

          She smiled despite the burning in her eyes.  "Yeah.  Shall we go?"

          "After you."  He pushed the door open and made a grand sweeping bow.  She laughed – world-weary and worn as it was, it was still her laugh, and he couldn't help the retaliatory grin that rose on his face.

          The little bell rang through Cloud Nine as the door shut softly behind them.


End file.
